Key Takeaways
Extended Takeaways
- Across 2018–2022, benzodiazepine use remained strongly age-graded, affecting 5.9% of adults aged ≥56 years, 3.8% of those aged 36–55 years, and 1.8% of those aged 18–35 years; use was especially common in separated, divorced, or widowed individuals (6.9%), publicly insured adults (6.1%), and nonemployed persons (6.0%).
- In younger adults receiving benzodiazepines, prescribing was predominantly for anxiety or stress (78.6%), whereas insomnia or sleep disorders accounted for a larger share of treatment in older adults (18.5% for ≥55 years vs 7.7% for 36–55 years and 4.4% for 18–35 years).
- Patterns of exposure differed by age: 38.0% of benzodiazepine-treated adults aged 18–35 years received only 1 prescription, while 35.8% received ≥5 annual prescriptions, compared with 43.6% and 42.0% receiving ≥5 prescriptions in the 36–55 years and ≥56 years groups.
- Among adults aged 56 and over with ≥1 annual benzodiazepine prescription, prescribing intensity also declined over time, with the mean number of prescriptions falling from 5.4 in 2018 to 4.3 in 2022 (difference, −1.0, 95% CI: −1.6 to −0.5).
- Same-year antidepressant treatment occurred in slightly over half of benzodiazepine-treated adults in all age groups, suggesting benzodiazepines were often used alongside ongoing treatment for mood or anxiety disorders rather than as stand-alone therapy.
- Risk clustering was substantial among benzodiazepine-treated adults: 62.9% of those with serious distress and 72.0% of those in fair/poor general health also received other CNS depressants, highlighting groups that may warrant closer medication reconciliation and monitoring.
